 
Most people living near Brooker Creek take pride in having an attractive lawn. Residents spend hours mowing lawns, planting shrubs and trees and making sure everything is healthy and attractive. Indeed, having a well-groomed yard can be beneficial to the watershed. |
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Maintaining vegetation keeps soil in place and prevents rain from
washing it into streams and lakes. Lawns, compared to paved areas,
are also helpful in catching rainwater and allowing it to evaporate
or soak into the soil. Unfortunately, in their zest to create the most attractive lawn or garden, residents sometimes contribute to watershed pollution. Fertilizers are helpful while establishing a lawn but, if over-applied, water washes the nutrients from the lawn into ponds and lakes where it causes excess algae growth and affects water quality. An additional drawback to grass lawns is they often require the most water in the landscape. Native shrubs and plants tend to require less care and additional watering to remain healthy and add to the aesthetic beauty of the yard. |
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